Parish Life Welcoming and Hospitality
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An excerpt from "The Company of Strangers"
by Tim Stadler, Liturgical Assistant

It is hard starting out anywhere, not knowing people, not having anyone to care about, or other to care about you. Once that first person extends that warm hand, a threshold is crossed and you begin to become part of a community. That community broadens until you have a group of friends that you look forward to seeing again.

When I first attended a mass at St. Mary’s, the pastor personally greeted me, members of the congregation welcomed me, and I became part of the music program. I was a stranger that was welcomed into a group of people that had no reason other than our duty to hospitality.

One Sunday every month is designated as Hospitality Sunday. We encourage you to partake in this opportunity to come and meet someone you haven’t known. Widen your community to include the Company of Strangers, a group that is always there, a group that is in need of you.

We need people who love St. Mary’s Parish so much that they can’t help but reach out to others to help them feel welcome. We need lots of people to do lots of different things; there’s a way for everybody to help.

The Hospitality Committee needs people who like to cook and bake; people with a gift for setting a beautiful table, and people to set up tables and chairs. We’ll host monthly Hospitality Weekends, the Holiday Celebration after Lessons & Carols in Advent and the Pentecost Party.

The Welcoming Committee needs friendly people to pick up the phone and reach out to new members to help them feel at home in our parish and people who’d rather address envelopes and mail welcoming packets and invitations to parish events.

Contact: Karie Ferrell at 847-864-0333 ext. 18 or email: evangelization@stmaryparish-evanston.org or, fill out the Welcoming and Hospitality Volunteer Form below and I’ll be in touch.

Welcoming and Hospitality Volunteer Form

First Name: Last Name:
Address: City:
Phone: E-mail:

Want to be a Volunteer?

I am volunteering to be part of the Hospitality Committee.
Please contact me so that we can discuss this.
Yes No

I am interested in becoming part of the Welcoming Committee.
Please contact me so that we can discuss this.
Yes No
 


Karie Ferrell - Director of Evangelization & Catechesis
847-864-0333 ext 18
evangelization@stmaryparish-evanston.org